The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a charge sheet against 20 persons in NIA Special Court, Bengaluru in connection with the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru.
The agency's investigations revealed that the PFI, to create terror, communal hatred and unrest in society and to further its agenda of establishing Islamic Rule by 2047, formed secret teams called Service Teams or Killer Squads to carry out killings of its ‘perceived enemies’ and targets.
The NIA stated that these Service Team members were given arms and training in attack and surveillance techniques to identify, list out and watch over individuals/leaders belonging to certain communities and groups. These Service Team members further trained to assault/kill identified targets on the instructions of senior PFI leaders.
In furtherance of conspiracy meetings by PFI members and leaders held at Bengaluru city, Sullia town and Bellare village, the head of District Service Team Mustafa Paichar was instructed to recce, identify and target a prominent member of a particular community. As per instructions, four persons were recced and identified and among them Praveen Nettaru, who was from BJP Yuva Morcha, was assaulted and killed in full public view with lethal weapons to create terror among the people at large and especially among members of a particular community, said the NIA.
Nettaru, a resident of Bellare, was hacked to death with sharp weapons, allegedly by the cadres of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) on July 26, 2022 to strike terror among the people in the society and create fear.
The case was initially registered as FIR number 63/2022 dated July 27 at Bellare Police Station of Dakshina Kannada district and re-registered by the NIA on August 4.
The accused 20 persons have been chargesheeted under various sections of 120B, 153A, 302 and 34 of IPC and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967, Section 25(1) (a) of Arms Act.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks